Ledger tray cabinet



Feb. 3, 1953 N. s. WELK LEDGER TRAY CABINET 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 24, 1948 IN VEN TOR.

M210 .5. Wax

' ATTVF/V Feb. 3, 1953 N, w 2,627,446

LEDGER TRAY CABINET I Filed July 24, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 4 5110 5. W544 Feb. 3, 1953 N. s. WELK 2,627,446

LEDGER TRAY CABINET Filed July 24, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet a Patented Feb. 3, 1953 LEDGER TRAY CABINET Nelson S. Welk, Athens, Ohio, assignor to The McBee Company, Athens, Ohio, a corporation Application July 24, 1948, Serial No. 40,457

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a ledger tray cabinet.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cabinet for housing a ledge tray which constitutes a separate unit from the ledger tray and can be used interchangeably with different ledger trays.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved form of cabinet for ledger trays in which a ledger tray may be inserted or from which it may be removed as desired.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a ledger tray and a cabinet for housing the same which provides a compact, useful unitary article.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description and the appended claim.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in side elevation, showing two of the cabinets of the invention superimposed one upon the other and with the lower cabinet open and the tray in extended, outward position and the upper cabinet closed.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the cabinet of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse section, on a larger scale, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 but with the ledger tray removed.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, showing the manner in which the cabinets of the invention may be arranged about a window.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 1-4 showing how the door is suspended in the closed position.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 1, there are shown two ledger tray cabinets I, each containing a ledger tray 2. The ledger tray 2 is of known construction and does not require detailed description herein. Suffice it to say that the ledger tray, which may be of the type described in my copending application Serial No. 698,688, filed September 23, 1946, now abandoned, entitled Ledger Tray, comprises a base 3, side portions 4, and a compressor 5 and follower 5 between which papers or other documents 1 are filed. The operation of the ledger tray is also known, being described in the above-mentioned copending application.

2 For a purpose hereinafter described, the base of the tray 2 is provided with an opening at I5 defined by a rearward shoulder 16 and a forward,

sloping guide surface [1.

' Referring now more particularly to Figs. 3, 4, 5 and '7, the cabinet I is of sturdy box-type construction comprising a rear wall I8, side walls [9, a top plate 20 and a dOOr 22, the door itself being of box type construction. The door 22 is provided with a combined lock and handle 23 of known construction and a holder 24 for receiving and holding an identification card or the like (not shown). The door 22 is pivotally supported by means of a pin 25 secured thereto by any suitable means, as by welding, and projecting at each end somewhat beyond the door, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5. The projectin ends of the pin 25 rest upon and are guided by a sloping surface 30 formed on the door frame 3|. The door 22 is guided and supported in its pivotal movement by the guide surface 30, and also by a bracket or shelf 32 secured to each side wall 19 of the cabinet. A neat joint and adequate clearance for the door in its swinging movement are provided by bending the door frame upwardly and rearwardly at 33, as best shown in Figs. 4 and '7. A door stop 34, pivotally supported at 35, is also provided.

It will be seen that a door construction is provided which allows pivotal and sliding movement of the door and which provides support for the door in open position and in closed position, as shown in Fig. 1.

A tray support 40 and a tray guide 4| are provided, the tray support being of stepped Z-shaped transverse section and providing a horizontal base 42 to support the ledger tray. The forward ends of the tray guides 4| are curved upwardly at 43. Forwardly of the cabinet body and at the bottom thereof there is provided an auxiliary tray supportin member 45 of generally L-shaped cross-section having a base 46, a vertical section 41, which forms the bottom member of the door frame, and an upper horizontal section 48, which is disposed at the same level as the horizontal bases 42 of the tray supports 40, thus providing support for the ledger tray. The horizontal section 48 is recessed at 49 to provide space for rollers 50 which are rotatable in brackets 55. Rearwardly of the rollers 50 there is provided a stop member 56 pivotally supported at 51 by a bracket 58 and having a head 59 and a handle 62. The center of gravity of the stop member 56 is such that its head is normally in elevated position as shown in Fig. 4. The cabinet is provided with openings 60 to receive bolts 6|, as shown most clearly in Fig. 1, thus providing a means of bolting adjacent cabinets together.

In use, the ledger tray cabinet is operated as follows: The door 22 is unlocked by means of the lock 23, and, using the same as a handle, it is pivoted upwardly and rearwardly so as to be received'within the cabinet and to rest upon the guide and support member 32, as shown in the lower unit of Fig. 1. If it is desired to insert a ledger tray, the latter is disposed with its base at a level between the tray support 49' and the tray guide Al and it is then thrust inwardly. The sloping guide surfaces 43 at the forward ends of the tray guides' il serve to guide the base into proper alignment withithe: guide.-

ingtgui'de surface I! formed in the base 3 passes over. the head 51 of the stop member 56,, the latter: will pivot upwardly and will cause the headtoabutthe shoulder l6, thus stopping further' movement" of the ledger tray. The tray is 'thusheld inposition for posting but is adequately supported. Should it be desired to remove the tray, to use it elsewhere, or to replace itzbyanother tray, it is merely necessary to insert a' finger underneath the base 3 of the tray, pivot the stop member 56 to disengage its head: 59 from-the'shoulder l6 and pull the tray outwardly, thus disengaging and removing it completely from the. cabinet.

Referring'now to Fig. 6, there is shown one i of: the many ways in which the unitary structures-can: be employed. Thus, there is shown a base-fi l supporting. any desired number of cabinets l, any or all of which may containa ledger tray, and the cabinets are arranged neatly and symmetrically about a window 63. The same cansalsobe-arranged'in a corner, within a recess I oriir other areas which. are difiicult of access or where it is desired to leavesome structure or opening? unobstructed.

While I have. shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A cabinet of the character described having side walls, a vertical door frame between the side walls, a slidable and pivotal door fitting the opening defined by said door frame, parallel horizontal tracks disposed within the cabinet and secured. to the side walls of said cabinet adjacent thetop-of the door frame opening to support said door when said door is moved to an open horizontal position overlying the tracks, inwardly anddownwardly inclined surfaces formed in the upper portions of said door frame, protrusions laterally extending from the upper portions of 'said door and spaced rearwardly of that plane containing the center of gravity of said doorand parallel to the front'face' of said door, said protrusions positioned to engage said inwardly and downwardly inclined surfaces as the door is moved to its closed position, whereby under the influence of gravity the door tends to move in an inwardly and downwardly direction, the forward ends of the tracks being positioned to engage the rear of said doorwhen it reaches closed position so as to preclude the disengagement of the protrusions from the inwardly and downwardly inclined surfaces and stop the door in a position of alignment within said door frame, the door terminating short of the lower margin of the opening in said door frame whereby said door when closed suspends from said protrusions.

NELSON S. WELK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record-in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS;

I Number Name Date 1,028,767 Mooney June 4, 1912 1,314,363 Porter Aug; 26, 1919 1,646,008 Butler Oct. 18, 1927 2,238,004 Wolters Apr. 8, 1941 2,241,884 Noble May 13, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 461,171 Great Britain Feb. 11, 1937 

